


Siren Serenade

by PhoenixFalling



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, I have no idea what I'm doing, Supergirl would never, Zarlie - Freeform, charlie is a flirt, charlie is fucking hot, merry beebo day, queer Zari, so you think im hot??, zari can't process her attraction to charlie, zari is fucking whipped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-26 20:47:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17148845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixFalling/pseuds/PhoenixFalling
Summary: The Legends are called on another mission to capture an elusive creature, this time being a siren. Unfortunately, this day is also Sara and Ava's anniversary. With a little convincing, Zari, Charlie, Constantine, and Mick head to early Jamestown.However, the only way to take away the siren's ability is by making her vulnerable. How though? By allowing one of the Legends to fall under her spell, having to overcome whatever the creature throws at them of course.Zari just happens to be her target.





	1. a living nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Legends FF, so there are ALOT of characters to keep track of. I tried my best to keep them in character. Since we haven't had much of Zarlie yet, I worked with what little we have. 
> 
> happy beebo day you all

Fighting all of these insane magical creatures was proving to be significantly more exhausting that any of the Legends could have anticipated. It was certainly more than Zari signed up for when she first joined, but she had been through too much with the team. Why back out now if they were fighting posed dolls and violent unicorns rather than the Darhks or a demon. Just another day as a Legend, apparently.

The abnormal was their new normal.

That, and she may or may not have started to fall with one particularly interesting creature. A damn shapeshifter than pushed her buttons, infuriated her more than anyone else on the team (with maybe Constantine as a close second). As if her life isn’t interesting enough, the charming woman just so happened to be stuck in the attractive form of a good friend. The very one Zari had a pathetic crush since the day Amaya saved her from her future.

The Legends were her family now, a family that was constantly growing with Sara’s strong relationship with Ava and Ray’s budding romance with Nora. If they could find love in all the crazy shit that they all went through, than why was it so alarming when Zari realized her feelings she initially interpreted as irritation towards the abrasive shapeshifter was actual attraction. Not just because she shared a likeness to Amaya, but of the interesting and surprisingly well-meaning person she grew to know.

Zari was wandering aimlessly through the endless world of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as a distraction from her feelings and also as a brain break from the hours she spent repairing the ship. The Waverider does not handle dragonfire well; apparently.

No matter how hard she tried to focus on the game, her mind kept pulling her back to Charlie and what her limited options were. Not that there were many routes she could take, Zari liked how simple things were right now and didn’t want to jeopardize the friendship she worked so hard to build. On the flip side, she had the untamable urge to shut Charlie up during one of her rants about wanting her shapeshifting back by kissing her.

 _‘Oh god, I’m going to be as sappy as Ray, aren’t I?’_ Zari thought to herself. She never imagined caring about someone to such a degree as he did, say, giving a former demon vessel a time stone to escape capture but than again, her attachment to Amaya prevented her from sending Charlie to Hell. Albeit a decision she did not regret in the slightest.

“There is a possible fugitive sighting in Jamestown in 1608, Captain Lance has requested everyone report to the control room,” Gideon announced throughout the ship. Her train of thought now derailed, Zari let out an annoyed sighed as she dragged herself off the couch.

“Of course, because why fucking not?” Zari grumbled to herself. They could hardly go two days without being called away on some wild goose chase. ”There can’t be that many creatures that escaped, right? Wrong,” she checked the clasp that rested on the back of her neck to make sure the totem was secure.  
She took her sweet time getting ready, wanting to take full advantage of each and every second of peace and quiet before gallivanting off after some exotic magical creature. This would be the third monster mission this week and it was only Wednesday, or so at least she thought. Keeping up with modern day time was nearly impossible when they were floating through time, jumping back and forth throughout the timeline on a daily basis.

By the time she joined the rest of the Legends on the bridge, John and Sara were in an argument with Ray standing between them to break up the fight. Usually the pair would calmly disagree, but Sara seemed particularly adamant about a more aggressive approach compared to John’s idea of recon and careful planning.

“This is not a creature you can easily kill nor tame. I know you have better things to do, but this mission needs planning,” John was quickly losing his patience,”We can’t just go in, guns blazing. Not this time.”

“You said you could make us immune, why not just have the team just hold her down until you do your magic shit and knock her out,” Sara pointed out, clearly agitated.

“Sirens are basically invincible. No mortal weapon can harm one, someone needs to break free of her song. Bam! Now she’s vulnerable to magical attacks,” Charlie explained, resting with her back against the glass wall of the library.

“Sara, what's the deal? You are usually the one advocating a practical plan,” Zari commented, keeping her distance in case either John or Sara lose their temper.

“It's her anniversary with Ava,” Ray said, taking a step closer to John as she glared daggers at him with blazing blue eyes.  
“We've handled worse than a horny magical bitch, this should be nothing,” of course Mick decided to pitch in,”I'm with Sara, let's just send it burning to Hell and go on with the day.”

“If you are so confident in the Legends, Sara, than let us handle this. Enjoy your anniversary with Ava and we can cautiously deal with this magical creature,” Zari suggested drily. The last thing she expected to see was Sara actually nod in agreement with her after a few moments of careful consideration.

“I have to side with Miss Tomaz, the Legends have grown a lot since the lot of you came aboard all that time ago. Trust your team, they will not let you down,” Gideon voice echoed throughout the bridge.

“I will consider your input, thanks Gideon,” Captain Lance sighed, rubbing her forehead with both hand. Her troubled gaze flickered from each of the Legends as she considered trusting them on their own,”A siren is nothing to joke about. Especially during this fragile time as the colonies are sensitive to change. We need to be a scalpel, not a chainsaw, can I trust you to keep them in line?”

Zari expected for Sara to turn to Ray, instead her intelligent eyes remained on her. Her, of all the Legends. Granted, options for potential leaders were limited in this group of outcasts considering two of them selfishly fucked up history and Mick was more interested in writing and stealing than anything else.

“I wasn’t offering to lead this band of colorful morons,” Zari replied sarcastically.

“I know, but I’m sending the Legends into a potentially devastating mission against a creature that could wipe out everyone of you at whim if we are not careful. Ray will probably be too careful and anyone else very reckless. I’m risking a lot by approving this,” she huffed, obviously exasperated,”Like the lives of my team.”

“Come on Sara, with Z in charge we can handle this mission,” Charlie decided her opinion was required so she pitched in, flashing a friendly wink at Zari.

Her jaw clenched, her gaze falling to the floor with her heart in her throat. She did not want to lead this mission, she just assumed John would assume control because of his knowledge of the supernatural. After a second of thought, that assumption was ill advised considering how he selfishly destroyed the timeline multiple times.

“Promise me that the second things go wrong, you guys call me for backup. I don’t want a repeat of last time,” she sighed, her gaze now moving from each of the Legends,”Z, I need you to be be confident in the Legends, especially if Ray and I go to the Bureau.”

“I’ve babysat the B team before, this time is no different,” she shrugged her response. Especially after the fiasco caused by John and Charlie a couple of months ago, Sara frequently separated to the teams based off their skills and somehow she ended up with Charlie. Zari did not take Sara’s assumption that the mission would take a turn for the worse personally, it’s just how their team functioned. Nine times out of ten, someone fucked up and by some miracle; they still managed to come out on top on the end.

“Actually, it is. Whenever we locate the siren, one of you will need to be vulnerable to the siren’s song. The rest of us will have to drink a politice to become immune, and it is up to that person to fight against it’s temptation,” Constantine explained in the usual know-it-all tone,”I should be able to lock her ability like I did for our resident shapeshifter.”

“Great, so this is going to go only two ways. Terrible and horrible,” Zari shook her head, wondering how in the hell she got herself into this mess. A common thought that presented itself during each and every time a magical creature attacked them.

“Aye, a siren is one horrible beast. I got to say, if anyone can defeat a siren it’s the team of misfits,” Charlie simply shrugged her shoulders with a slight smile sort of knowitall smile that forced Zari’s heart to skip a beat. She really needed to talk to Sara about her attraction before it became a problem.

“What do you know Charlie? Anything that will help us defeat it?” She asked, fiddling with the totem hanging loose around her neck.

“I’ve spent some time with sirens. Their hatred of humans is unparalleled to most creatures I’ve run into. Don’t underestimate them, they are violent and heartless creatures, not one you can reason with,” Charlie said, her words leaving more explanation to be desired.

“We thought that all magical creatures should be killed or set to hell until you convinced us otherwise,” Zari reminded her, a slight smile touched her tan complexion. She could feel Sara’s curious gaze flickering between each women although she said nothing,”Is there another way to defeat her without taking her powers?”

“Trust me, Zari, the best and only way would be to take away her magic. The world would be better off one less siren in it,” John adamantly agreed with Charlie.

“Trust you? Do you not remember when you _turned me into a fucking cat_ ,” she seethed, walking over to where Sara stood by the computer monitors to put some distance between Constantine before she hurled him across the room,”Partially because Charlie wanted back the powers _you_ stole from her.”

“To be fair, you were a pretty cute cat,” Charlie said over her shoulder as she headed over to the kitchen, snagging a beer from the fridge.

Zari’s attention snapped back to the mythical woman who gulped down half of the bottle instantly. She had vivid memories of her experience as a cat, and if she had not been filled with blinding rage; she may have had time to enjoy the time with Charlie. Just maybe.

“We all make sacrifices, Z. Now, I have some frogs that need catching and some fish that need skinning, so if that’s it, love, I’ll be going,” Constantine did not wait for anyone to give him an answer, just disappearing down the hallway.

”Do not step foot in that town until I finish the concoction,” he called over his shoulder.

“Alright Legends, I guess you’re going fishing in early colonial Jamestown,” Sara said, dismissing the crew to get ready for their next mission,”Gideon, if you so please…”

“Of course.”

She turned to leave until a hand on her shoulder, holding Zari off from joining the rest of the Legends in the wardrobe.

_‘Damn it! So close!’_

“Hey, I just wanted to thank you,” Sara folded her arms across her chest,”I’m proud of you, stepping up and taking charge. Let’s face it, Ray is too much of a sweetheart to make the tough decisions and you’ve seen for yourself the repercussions of messing with history. You know how dangerous it is.”

“First off, I didn’t step up, you told me to that I’d be in charge. Secondly, you have been here since the day Rip started this shitshow and gone through a lot with these people. Sara, you deserve a day to yourself with your girlfriend instead of risking your life with us,” Zari said simply. She heard plenty of stories from Ray and the occasional gruff comment from Mick about their adventures with Rip Hunter early on with the immortal bird people and the very hard to believe story about Nazis and alternate Earths,”And if that means I have to do something stupidly dangerous with equally irresponsible people, than so be it.”

“And I have learned so much since joining the Legends, the most important being to not waste time on pushing back feelings because they can be considered a weakness. You never know how long you have the people you love in your life, they can be taken within an instant,” Sara sighed, falling silent as she recalled her lost family.

“At least you’ve got someone that loves you. Quite wasting your time chatting with me and get ready for whatever you have planned,” Zari was tempted to ask for her advice regarding Charlie, but she didn’t want to keep her from Ava any longer.  
Her expression must have given something away as Sara asked,”Talking with a friend is not a waste of time. I actually wanted to ask you about something.”

A sense of dread washed over Zari as Sara stood squarely, raising her chin to look her in the eye,”I should really be getting ready…” She tried to back away, but to no avail.

“You can’t leave until Constantine returns anyways. I just want to ask you how you think Charlie is doing with the team? I was worried it would be a little rough with her appearance but the two of you seem to be getting along well,” she seemed to be watching Zari closely to see how she reacted.

“Charlie? She’s-uh- great- er, I guess-doing great. Her history with these creatures is essential to taking capturing and containing them. I don’t know what we would do without her,” Zari didn’t know how to give a straight answer.

 _‘Fucking smooth, Z, smooth,’_ she berated herself, biting her tongue as Sara’s eyebrow cocked up,”I mean, you do send us on a lot of side quests together so it’s not like we spend time together by choice.”

“Because she responds well to you, you call her out on her shit. Charlie keeps you on your toes,” Sara replied, a mischievous grin slapped across her lips,”She doesn’t have to stay with us, she could very easily slip off into a crowd or take the jumpship. But she doesn’t, she stays.”

“If by ‘keeping me on my toes’ by irritating me every possible chance she gets, than, sure,” She pointed out, her inability to look Sara in the eye was not helping at all,”Charlie is probably just staying until her shapeshifting gets fixed and than she’ll be in the wind.”

“Don’t have so little faith in her, I think she’s here because she likes us. Just so you know, when Ava and I first met, she was threatening to blow us out of the sky and trying to force the Legends out of the business of saving time,” Sara said, her tone light with amusement,” She was constantly calling in to tell us how we messed up. And then those calls became more helpful instead of critical. Even after we screwed up, she voluntarily helped against us the Darhks.”

“Speaking of Ava, shouldn’t you be getting to her?” Zari could feel her skin growing hot, knowing that her flushed cheeks gave way that Sara was started to get to her. She didn’t want to fantasize that there may be hope for her and Charlie because she didn’t want to look for something that wasn’t there.

“She’d understand why I took a minute to talk to you about this,” Sara chuckled under her breath, finding Zari’s frustration somehow amusing.

“There is nothing to talk about,” she smiled awkwardly, breaking away from the Captain’s grasp so she could join the others in the fabrication room.

“Damn it, Z. Why are you so difficult?” Sara groaned.

“That’s just apart of my charm,” Zari replied over her shoulder as she turned the corner, out of sight from Captain Lance.  
She knew that Sara could not drop the topic but that would have to be a conversation for a different time. That time, however, judging by Sara’s persistence at getting her to open up would come sooner than later.

“What did Sara want?” Charlie asked the second she walked through the door, as if waiting for her to come in.

“Just, you know, giving me some advice on how to handle you lot,” Zari replied quickly. Her eyes skimmed the simple sky blue dress that fell just past Charlie’s ankles, a style common in early colonial times. She managed to pull off the plain gown, still somehow radiating a ‘don’t fuck with me’ vibe in such an intoxicating lure. Zari forced her gaze to switch to Mick who looked aggressively uncomfortable in the rough fitting shirts of early 1600 men’s fashion.

“I promise I’ll play nice,” Charlie said, her dusty brown hair now tussled down her back instead of it’s usual tight updo.

“How reassuring. One out of, how many again? Three? How did I get stuck with the three people that constantly go against Sara’s orders, if she can’t get you all to listen how the hell am I supposed to?” Zari groaned, searching through some old costumes.

“Just don’t be a dumbass,” Mick grumbled, undoing the top two buttons of his cotton shirt.

“Gee, thanks,” she sighed. She really wanted to do well, mainly to prove to Sara that the Legends were competent enough to do the occasional mission without her.

“Why do you think she is sending the four of us? Wouldn’t it be a better idea to bring Ray along to?” Zari asked aloud, mostly to herself.

“It’s kind of suspicious, yeah? A large group of folks of a wide variety of personalities just waltz into town asking questions about a shipwreck,” Charlie shrugged, adjusting her corset,”So one less person may help us blend in a little more, no?”

She was too fascinated with her accent to respond, her trance broken too quickly by a grunt from Mick,”That witch has made prettyboy weak.”

“He’s just head over heels for someone, what’s so wrong with that?” Zari said, perhaps a little too defensively.

“I think it’s sweet,” Charlie replied, taking a swig of beer.

“Don’t you be going soft on me, Shifter,” Mick rumbled deeply, heavily sitting down on a stool with a groan.

“Don’t worry fireboy, I’ve had my fair share of lovers and they’ve only made me stronger,” she replied, Charlie’s captivating accent a welcoming difference compared to Mick’s abrasive American accent.

Zari was so focused on filing through the massive amount of clothing they had collected over the many missions she did not notice her movements were being followed. Out of the corner of her eye, she briefly thought she saw Charlie watching; but she pushed aside the thought and continued to look for an outfit.

“So how do you know about sirens? Were you imprisoned with any?” Zari asked, watching to drive away the conversation topic about relationships.

“I had my fair share of run ins with ‘em in and out of hell. The one I met in hell had a particular soft spot for women but had hated men. With a passion,” Charlie chucked the beer bottle effortless into the trash can.

 _‘Soft spot for women? What the fuck does that mean? Why did she say it like that?'_ Zari stood quiet for a few seconds as she tried to rationalize what she said, just long enough for Charlie to notice.

“Worried about your mates, Z? Your men consist of one trigger happy pyromaniac and a skill sorcerer, they won’t be easy targets. None of you will,” She offered a quick smile, causing Zari to grow flustered enough to pick out the boring black dress she had been examining and take it to the small dressing room.

“I just don’t want to let Sara down, last time she left us alone… It did not end well,” she called from inside the thin walls of the changing room.

Mick simply grunted in agreement.

“Shit,” Zari hissed under her breath. Of course the dress she picked out had a zipper on the back that was fighting her, her arms unable to contort to the awkward angle required to free the tangled zipper.

“You alright in there?” Her voice was louder, as if Charlie was right on the other side of the door.

“The damn zipper is stuck,” she grumbled, tossing her hands in the air in frustration.

“Let me help,” Charlie rapped her knuckles against the door as a way of asking for permission to come in.

Not that really had much choice in the matter, Zari opened the door as her stomach flipped at the idea of being in such close quarters with her. Charlie entered in the tiny room and closed the door behind her, there was hardly enough room for the two women.

”This may help,” she said under her breath, gently bundling up Zari’s dusky brown hair and placing it over her shoulder. Her skin pricked, sensitive where Charlie’s fingers pushed aside any stray hairs to avoid getting any thin strands snagged in the zipper. One of her hands held the gown in place on her lower back, her heart leaping to her throat as the hand accidentally slid even lower as she tried jerking the zipper up the spine of the dress with such ease it surprised both of them.

“There you go,” Charlie moved her hands away from Zari’s body, but not without lingering on the dip of her back for several dreadfully long seconds. In the close confines of the closet, they stood for those excruciating seconds as Zari turned to thank her. Her heart ceased to pump as Zari stuffed away her temptations deep down to her core as their eyes locking together long enough to see an suspicious gleam of something; perhaps mischief.  
Charlie exhaled softly, leaving without another word. She found herself staring in the empty space where Charlie was standing, soaking in the sharp scent of what she would think a forest on fire would smell like.

 _‘Hot damn, I’m so fucking screwed,’_ Zari thought to herself, composing herself as much as she could in her strained state of desire. The fact that they were heading on a hunt for a siren, a creature designed to prey on one’s lust and desire. It just happened that Zari may in fact be the most vulnerable on the team.


	2. Only You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zari and the crew head out to early Jamestown in pursuit of the siren. Being the only one sane enough, it is Z that is the one left vulnerable to the song of the siren.
> 
> Who does she see? What does she hear?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my sister found my twitter and therefore probably found these so  
> fucking great  
> there goes any and all privacy I had, because god forbid I wanna rant about all the shit going on in my life without any people in RL seeing it.

“Boys, if you’ll head down to the docks. See what the sailors have any leads on where the siren may be and where the ships crashed. Look into procuring a boat, too,” by the time Zari finished her sentence, both Constantine and Mick were already heading down down to the bank.

“‘Great, Cap, sounds good’,” she said under her breath, praying that those two would keep out of trouble. Not that praying had any effect on their countless missions prior, but it couldn’t hurt.

“They’ll be fine, Z. I think our little excursion through dozens of timelines straightened ol’ John. At least until the Legends stop benefitting him, that is,” Charlie shrugged carelessly, keeping close to Zari as passing strangers gave the women a nasty glare.

“Yeah, the one thing consistent through time is racism and sexism,” she said despondent,”You learn to ignore it after awhile.”

“No shit, I am -or was- an immortal mythical creature. I’ve lived through it all, sweetheart,” Charlie flashed an obnoxiously cute smile,”Someone’s gotta protect you.”

“I am perfectly capable of handling myself, sweetheart. I’m from a rather shitty future where racism never ends and people like me are hunted down just for our believes, or abilities,” Zari said, stroking the thick necklace band around her neck. She led the way to the town square where a crowd had gathered and were listening intently to a rugged man's tale.

The mans face was marked with scratches, his arm in a sling around his chest. His eyes had a distorted, haunted look as he recited a story of a treacherous sea and of an angelic voice that corrupted the minds of his fellow sailors.

“One by one, my fellow seafaring men were bewitched until hardly a man was still doing their jobs. Distracted, the ship was heading straight to a jagged outcrop. Those of us still sane jumped the ship, I fear I may be the only surviving sailor of the mighty Stormbreaker, may she rest in peace at the bottom of the sea,” he rumbled, clearly enjoying the attention as the crowd gasped in horror. Even in his distraught state, he was quite the dramatic story teller.

“It is a miracle you are alive!” A young lady with frizzy brown hair batted thick eyelashes at him.

“And I will spend every minute so that the memories of my deceased men will not be forgot, I can only hope that this terrible creature will be killed soon. I fear no man will be strong enough to fight her persuasion,” he sighed heavily, his face softening with genuine sorrow.

The man was too distraught to continue his stories so most of the crowd dispersed as they probably had drastically better things to do. A few people, mostly young women and a handful of children still pestering the tired guy.  
Something about the two Legends seemed to unsettle these people as they trudged away with an annoyed glare as they approached the survivor.

“Can I help you ladies?” He rumbled, his voice scratchy and tired.

“What’s this I hear about your ship crashin’? How did you survive out of an entire crew of the ship?” Charlie demanded aggressively, jabbing a pointed finger in his face,”Seems a little suspicious, yeah?”

“I would not expect a pair of women to understand the dangerous of the sea,” he hissed, his stormy blue eyes narrowed,”Run off your husbands before I personally deal with your inappropriate behavior.”

“I don’t listen to no man you bastard!” Charlie spat at his feet, enraging the man even more. Of all the things Charlie was, quiet was not one of them.

“What did you call me?” The man raised a fist as if to threaten her, about to lash out before Zari stepped between the two.

“My friend and I am sorry for your loss, we having family coming from England and are worried for their passage,” Zari said with a forced politeness.

“Get a handle on your girl here than, miss, before she causes trouble,” he advised with a graveled voice,”And please have my early condolences. I fear nothing will pass between the waters that border this land and our Great Homeland until that thing is dead and gone.”

“You just keep pushing your luck you prick, she is the only thing keeping be from-”

“Okay, that’s enough with you. Charlie, if you could look into acquiring some supplies?” Zari gently nudged the fired up shapeshifter in the direction of a small general store down the street. Charlie was only making this situation worse, so why not send her off on a fool’s errand before she really pissed off their witness.

“That Charlie of yours is a handful,” the man commented, watching as she stormed away,”Say, does this family coming through have a betrothed aboard?”

“What? Oh, um, no. We came early in search of husbands,” Zari replied instantly, although the lie left an odd taste in her mouth.

“Is that so…” He gaze remained fixated at where Charlie disappeared into the trade shop.

“Enough talking about my friend,” the dry salted taste intensified,”What exactly did you encounter out there on the sea?” She needed to get this conversation over quickly before Charlie did something to endanger the mission.

“Why a witch of course. Cast some spell over my mates, they were all  
drawn to this woman that suddenly appeared. They listened to no one, just walked slowly towards her as she sang, abandoning their positions. No one was able to stop the boat as it was headed towards the rocky island.”

“And how did you escape?” Zari questioned, her gaze flickered from the man to where Charlie just emerged from the shack.

_‘She can’t catch a hint, can she?’_

“When I started feeling the temptation, I tossed myself off the ship since death was certain regardless. The next thing I knew I woke up on the beach,” he looked back at her, the haunted look returning to his battered face.

“Thanks, I guess,” Zari brushed by the man, only for him to tightly grip her wrist. Her free hand automatically lifted to her totem around her neck in case he tried anything.

“Why are you asking about this? What can a pair of women do about this beast?” He demanded an answer, although making no attempt to harm her.

“Nothing for you to worry about. Now let go before I break every bone in your hand,” she said as calmly as possible, allowing for a small smile to creep across her face.

“The two of you are feistier than any other girl I’ve met,” he commented, releasing Zari from his grip. There was a look in his eye that was unsettling, a revolting desire stirred the murky hazel depths that made her want to use an air blast to send the gross man into the sea. Reframing from revealing her power (and not wanting a repeat of being accused as a witch again), she hurriedly jogged across the street to meet Charlie.

“Get anything useful?” She asked, picking up Zari’s quick pace as they headed in direction of the port.

“He definitely encountered a siren,” she confirmed, glancing at Charlie. She seemed bothered by the confirmed fact that they were in fact facing a siren. Her usual carefree attitude had escalated into an agitated and even nervous state, as if worried about the magical fugitive.

“Oh,” Charlie responded. That was definitely the shortest sentence she ever heard from the supernatural creature, amplifying her concern by magnitudes.

“How hard is it, to break free of a sirens control?” Zari asked, a flash of heat flushed her system when their hands bumped together. Considering they were walking a good three or four inches away from each other, she found it hard to believe it was accidental. She figured it was just her overactive imagination playing tricks as Zari thought she saw the corner of Charlie’s mouth twitch.

“I wouldn't know from experience, I was never affected by the siren I knew. Something to do with us both being creatures derived from magic, I think. But from what I witnessed, it was a very gradual thing sort of like a dream. So entranced by something you know is going to kill ya,” Charlie said, her voice oddly quiet,”And there was nothing anyone could do about it.”

Zari anxiously fiddled with the small vile that held Constantine’s potion,”Delightful. There is no possible we can fuck this one up. Between crazy, horny, and depressed, our options are limited.”

At the mention of depression, Charlie paused for a moment before flinging her arm around Zari's shoulder, a sudden grin on her lips,”No worry darling, I think you can beat her. You are strong, confident, brave. Definitely the best of us to beat this fugitive.”

“Compared to Mick… And Constantine. Means so much when I’m the best of those two,” Zari shrugged. Her body stiffened as Charlie pulled her closer, guiding Zari down an aisle a hidden dirt path with an unsettling calmness.  
Charlie pressed her against a scrawny pine tree and whispered,”He is following us.”

Zari, fazed by their close proximity, was unable to bring herself to say anything. Not that she would have, with Charlie’s index finger pressed against her lips as a way to tell Zari to remain quiet.

Heavy boots crunched the dirt path, belonging to a man unsteady on his feet. Zari’s hand instinctively moved to her totem but Charlie shook her head, covering the necklace with her own hand. Safe in the shadows of the grove, the man trudged by without noticing them.

They waited for a seemingly endless amount of time just to ensure that the man did not do a double take. Zari kept her gaze lowered, focused on a tree over Charlie’s shoulder to keep her heart from tearing out of her chest.

“See, sometimes I can be quiet,” Charlie said smartly as she backed away from Zari. She appeared a tad flustered, anxiously tugging at her dress as if it fit poorly despite that the clothing (at least in Zari’s opinion) conformed to her figure perfectly.

“Once is not enough to prove anything,” Zari sighed heavily, aware of how strained she sounded,”I'm not surprised he was following, he watched you walk away and I had a bad feeling.”

“Aww you care about me,” She actually appeared to be distraught with a sorrowful frown tainting her face at the thought of the weasel that had stalked them.

“No,” she replied instantly, wincing as the frown only deepened. She knew her response wasn’t very convincing, but now was not the best time to go into detail about why she was acting so… off.

“Seriously, Z? Something’s been up with you lately,” Charlie ran a hand through her hair,”I can’t apologize enough about what happened.”

Zari’s lack of response ended the discussion, much to the magical shapeshifter’ s disappointment. To her surprise, Charlie did not press the subject and the two continued their way to the oceanfront.

“Zari, we have an idea of where the siren is attacking ships. The fishermen say that another ship is expected to arrive in the next few days with supplies, if at all,” Constantine said quickly over the comms, startling Zari as she had been so focused on the road ahead.

“We’re almost there, stay where you are and keep Mick away from the boats,” Zari replied.

“By chance do any of your Legends know how to captain a boat?” Charlie asked doubtfully.

“I can probably steer with my totem, unless either you or Constantine have hidden talents we need someone that knows how to steer a ship,” she said, realizing now that an issue had risen she had not considered. How would they be able to take a boat out on sea if none of them could steer the vessel safely?

“Don’t you have some memory devices? Hire a captain and a boat, give him the extra potion. Capture the siren, flash ‘em,” Charlie suggested, glancing at Zari with hopeful soft brown eyes.

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Zari nodded in agreement, impressed by the strange initiative Charlie was taking. Since the little mishap, the shapeshifter seemed to have a new desire to be more helpful rather than a nuisance. While this newfound behavior was refreshing, it frankly was not helping with what started out as a little crush and had now turned into full blown romantic attraction.

“John, see if you can find a captain and boat. We don’t need a crew, just one or two should do,” Zari said over coms.

“Already on it,” he replied, his heavy British accent translating poorly through the earbud.

“So what do you think you’ll see? If you end up facing the siren?” Charlie asked casually, although Zari had a suspicion that she was curious on what weakness the mythical creature would draw out.

“Probably my brother,” Zari said quietly, shifting her gaze to the ground,”That’s what the death totem showed me.”

“This death totem, from my understanding, targets those dear to you have died. The siren typically targets sexual attraction which is why men are her usual target,” she explained, wringing her hands together,”Typically, they will transform into their wives, significant others, those that have a ‘special’ place in their, er, hearts.”

“Than I should be fine,” Zari sounded a little too confident in grand contrast to the terror that was building in her stomach.

“That's what they all say,” Charlie shrugged, clearly not believing Zari.

Perhaps it was her tone, maybe the way she tugged at her totem, but the way Charlie looked at her stirred the never resting swarm of butterflies in to a frenzy,”Have you never pinned desperately after someone? Wanted him now, not as a buddy but as something more?”

“I was too busy trying to take down ARGUS in my bleak future and fighting a time demon to look for romance,” Zari replied nonchalantly, realizing after the words escaped that she sounded defensive.

“Romance has a way of finding people, even if you aren't looking,” she replied ominously, breaking away to meet up with Mick, John, and another man she did not recognize.

 _‘Is this hatred or adoration? Probably hatred,’_ Zari thought to herself as she tried to rationalize the burning pricking at her heart. She picked up her pace to meet up with the rest of the team.  
Charle certainly had her own, magical way of frustrating Zari, to say the least.

Charlie laughed at something John said, tossing her head back in an amused giggle as Zari rolled her eyes at how casual Constantine seemed to be about this mission.

“Zari, this is Adam Davis. He is generous enough to let us borrow his ship, at a price of course,” Constantine said with a wink. There was something unsettling yet familiar about this tone, something suggestive, maybe?

“Thanks. I hope whatever John promised you is worth this little exertion,” Zari said, trying to keep her voice as friendly as possible despite that it sounded very forced.

“Just a quick trip out in pursuit of a sea witch that Crazy George is raving about for a little profit? Why not?” He shrugged, obviously eager to get this quick voyage over with. He started to walk down a dirt path that led to a couple of boats floating on the edge of the beach.

“You don’t believe him?” Charlie asked, following Adam closely with Constantine trailing behind her.

“This is stupid. These magical creatures get more stupid,” Mick rumbled under his breath before begrudgingly trudging after the others.

Zari did not say anything, reluctantly taking slow steps in pursuit of her teammates. She had an overwhelming terrible feeling as Adam gestured to a run of the mill boat that appeared to be the most basic fishing boat money could buy. The sail looked sturdy enough, all it had to do was get them to the siren and get back to shore.

“Ladies and gentlemen, after you,” he bowed dramatically, tipping his ragged hat in a welcoming manner to the shaking board that connected the boat to the unsteady deck.

Her anxiety shot up the second Zari put her weight on the creaking boat. After all the time spent on a glorified space boat (equipped with its own unique rumbles and creaks of its own) would have quelled sea sickness she would probably be plagued with the second they set sail, but it was unlikely.

Clenching her jaw, she sulked over to the Legends who stood in the center of the boat. Adam was prepping the sails without asking assistance, seemingly have picked up the idea that this crew was not equipped in any knowledge of seafare.

“Mates, we need to figure out who is going to be that lucky Legend to square off against the siren,” Constantine revealed a handful of small bottles with syrupy green goop inside.

“No offensive Mick, but I don’t think you’re the right lad for this,” Charlie said, folding her arms across her chest.

“Yeah,” he graveled, snagging one of the vials and wandered off, chugging the potion and chucking it over the side of the boat.

“And I frankly don’t trust you to not fuck this up,” Zari jerked her head at John, her hands resting on her hips. It was safe to say that she was still annoyed about being turned into a cat.

“In all fairness, love; I have made my peace with Desmond’s fate,” John replied, with an eyebrow cocked up in annoyance at Zari’s grudge.

“We can’t risk whatever your definition of ‘peace’ is, love,” she retorted, glaring at him through narrowed eyes.

“Than what do you suggest? Our options are kind of limited,” he growled, turning to Charlie as if asking for her opinion.

To Zari’s surprise, she hesitated as if actually contemplating the situation rather than the usual talking without thinking. After exhaling a small gasp of air, Charlie glanced from John to Zari,”I’m with Z on this, I know you’ve had a rough time dealing with your loss of Desmond. Sometimes it takes more than time travel to heal a broken heart. Sirens are merciless, she will use him to hurt you and you’re still a little fragile, dearie.”

“Of course you would side with Zari,” Constantine grumbled. He was not pleased with the lack of faith that both Zari and Charlie shared towards him, but he was outnumbered. Without another word of complaint, he reluctantly drank the disgusting looking concoction.

“Oh,” Zari finally realized what it meant, that she would have to be the one to combat the mythical creature. She assumed she would, she was the next emotionally stable following (debatably) Sara and Ray; not that that meant entirely too much when compared to the rather unstable group of superheros.

“Congratulations Z,” Constantine said with that obnoxious grin of his.

“Shut up and give Adam the extra vial,” Zari sighed, shaking her head in despair. Her nerves skyrocketed as the boat jerked forwards, slowly sliding into the ocean.

“You got it,” he resumed his usual unbothered and ‘charismatic’ suave, sauntering over to Captain Davis.

“I’m tempted to push him off the boat,” she mumbled under her breath,”Arrogant asshole.”

“What’s stopping you?” Charlie asked, although it wasn’t a question that needed an answer. She appeared completely unbothered as the dock inched further and further away, as if it was only Zari that bothered by unsteady rocking of the boat.

Regardless, Zari answered anyways,”I don’t think that Sara would appreciate me tossing our resident ‘master of the dark arts’ into the ocean.”

“I don’t think she would really blame you though, John’s got a way of pissing off people,” she pointed out, her voice light with amusement.

“As if you don’t have the same affect on people?” Zari commented, watching as John haphazardly flirted his way into convincing Adam to drink the odd liquid.

“If I didn't know any better, I would say you were trying to flatter me,” Charlie said, facing away from Zari as she tried to hide her smile. There was almost a faint tinge of a suggestive tone or it was Zari’s overactive imagination.

“No? What the hell are you talking about?” She squeaked, surprised by the sharpened tone. Zari coughed to clear her throat, unsure of whether this tightness was from her inability to function adequately around Charlie or her unease about the great distance from the boat to land. She winced as the glaring reflection of the sun across the endless ocean, trying to get rid of those pesky white blotches on the edge of her vision.

“I think you know,” she said in a sing-songy voice, sauntering over to the edge of the boat. By now, the landmass was slipping out of sight as the Morningstar gracefully combated the rolling waves.

A couple of slow breaths to sooth her rapidly beating heart did the trick, even if it was for a few peaceful moments. Reluctantly she followed in Charlie’s path; biting down on her tongue as a distraction from the unnerving movements of the boat.

“You’re either the bravest or either stupidest woman I have ever known,” Charlie said in a hushed voice, her eyes darkened with some clouded emotions as she searched the horizon.

“How reassuring,” Zari sighed, resting her elbows on the impenetrable wood wall. Her eyes were not focused on the calming waves, instead admiring the soft golden light reflecting off Charlie’s distinct features. There was a fierce confidence in her demeanor; even now as Charlie wordlessly starred off at sea reminded Zari once more of why she admired the shapeshifter.

Charlie was unlike anyone she had ever met before and that was saying a considerable amount because of the countless characters she met throughout time. The only thing she had in common with Amaya was the face she shared, for better or in this case for worse. Sure, she loved how gentle and wholesome Amaya was, but there was just something intriguing about Charlie, so much she didn’t know. The boisterous and passionate mortal shapeshifter, much to Zari’s dismay, had somehow doubled her attraction instead of turning her off from the face of the women she grew to want as more than a friend.

Maybe the saying is true, opposites do attract right? She had far better things to do that fantasize about a spunky little dark skinned mythical creature, but here she was. Head over heels for someone who couldn’t possibly care for a boring mortal like her?

Zari was so lost in thought she did not notice that Charlie had turned to look at her during some point in the time span where she spaced out. There was a weird spark in the air but she was not enterally sure it wasn’t the seasickness boiling in her gut. Her eyebrows were knitted together just slightly enough to cause a single crease at the bridge of her nose.

“Why couldn’t you send me to hell? Most of your mates were ready to send me to damnation as I tried to find a vulnerability to keep me out of that hellscape. You were the last one I expected to save my sorry ass, I will always be grateful for that,” Charlie said quietly, leaning in a little closer.

There was a peculiar sense of magnetism, something trying to drawing her in. It was different that the usual temptations, there was such an impossibly raw desire that wasn’t there before.

She could hear faint, muffled voices from around her but Zari could not figure out where they were coming from. Zari couldn’t find a care in the world, which on some level was concerning but not enough to cause alarm.

“Come on Z, do you really think I haven’t noticed? The way you watch my every movement, hang onto every word I say? Even now as we set sail towards a siren you still think about me, not about your own safety,” again with the smooth sing-song voice, this time sounding distorted.

Something was off, the feeling of nauseous sharpening to an all out sense of dread. The voices quieted to a harsh whisper, the rest of the world around her started to grow fuzzy as Charlie inched closer, now only an inch or two away.

“Just imagine, us two slipping away on the jumpship, any time, anywhere. Without any of these loons holding us back. How long have you been on this crusade, Z? Don’t you want to finally be free of this thankless job? Imagine all the fun we can have, hopping through time…” Charlie’s face was now close enough for her to distinguish the copper flecks against the russet iris she had grown quiet attached too, but there was something else.

This was not Charlie, sure this faux had her voice but even that sounded off, it was the lack of tiny little holes where she would usually have her piercings that tipped Zari off.

It was the siren and she was using Charlie and Amaya, because why not? Confusion fogged her mind, rendering Zari a stuttering mess. Even with the knowledge of the siren, she was extremely tempted by its appearance and no matter how she liked the idea of taking a break from the Legends with Charlie, she knew better. She made a commitment to these people and she was not going to let any woman, even if it was Charlie, stand in her way.

“You aren’t my Charlie,” Zari found herself slurring, unable to pull away from the siren,”You aren’t her.”

“But I could be, without those little quirks that drive you crazy, maybe with some of Amaya’s gentleness mixed in maybe?” The siren hummed, attempting to close in the gap between their lips.  
Zari pulled away, unable to fight the surge of emotions that drowned out her better judgement,”Stop, please. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I have seen countless stories like yours, love. All just the same chorus of a love song, a love missed, forgotten, ignored. You are not different than anyone else I have encountered, except maybe how your friends are immune to my song, that’s new to me,” the creature purred, grabbing a hold of Zari’s wrists,”Too scared about this and that. Too worried to let her know how you feel for stupid human reasons.”

“I’m not scared or worried, I can handle whatever crap you throw at me. I know your game, siren, I’ve played worse. I have to live with the fact I can’t save my mother or brother everyday and you have the audacity to use the woman that helps those dark thoughts go away? Not going to work, sweetheart,” the words rushed out of her mouth without having time to process exactly what she was saying.

Zari jerked away, blasting the siren across the boat. Her body skidded across the boat, her appearance glitching as it transformed from Charlie to a simple red-haired woman with piercing blue eyes.

The white-noise faded out, she could now clearly hear Constantine mumbling some magic nonsense. Charlie and Mick flanked the siren as she staggered to her feet, screeching in rage.

Zari gradually started to recover from the trance that she was temporarily locked into. A flash of yellow and a single last scream was followed by silence as Charlie knocked out the siren with a surprisingly strong punch.

“Congratulations, love, you just defeated a siren,” Constantine offered an arm to help steady Zari, which she gladly took. She still felt wobbly, knees weak and her limbs numb, emotions stagnated and all over the place.

Zari wasn’t quite sure what everyone had heard, but she guessed from the awkward silence that bestowed itself upon the ship that they had heard enough. This did not go the way she hoped, there was no running away from her feelings now, not with how Charlie constantly kept glancing in her direction with worry skewed across her face.

“No need to worry about that one, things will work themselves out,” he said, eyes sparkling with sympathy. Maybe there was a heart somewhere deep down in the self absorbed, greedy, narcissist.

“You didn’t tell me I’d feel so… drained after. Or that I could have destroyed my friendship with Charlie,” Zari mumbled, shutting her eyes to block out the wave of dizziness that washed over her mind.

“In all honesty, I did not suspect that it would prey on your interest in Charlie,” Constantine replied softly before adding in a louder tone directed towards Captain Davis,”Our work here is done, sir. If you don’t mind, it is time we head back to shore.”

“Whatever you say, Mr. Constantine,” he called back and started to maneuver the vessel around.

“Are you okay, Z? If so, I need to ensure our newest addition to our collection of magical creatures is safely under control,” he asked as Mick approached with the unconscious siren tossed over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Zari nodded reluctantly. She finally regained her balance, although the sudden bile in the back of her throat prompted her to dart to the side of the boat; preceded by several torturous minutes of dry heaving.

“Breathe, nice and calmly,” someone soothed, pull Zari’s hair away from her face.

 _‘I am never going on a boat again or face anymore magical creatures,’_ she thought, shivers echoed throughout her entire body.

“This is not a side effect of the creature, just good old seasickness,” Charlie said quietly.

“Great,” Zari spat, wiping away the thin line of saliva from her mouth.

“Are you okay?” She asked, keeping her hand in the middle of her back for support.

“As I will ever be,” Zari grumbled, allowing her body to slither to the ground. Charlie sat down next to her, somehow wrapping an arm around Zari’s shoulder before she got a chance to shrug it away.

“You’re one tough human,” Charlie commented, turning to face Zari.

“Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it,” she said quietly, low enough so that no one else but Charlie.

“You’ve stuck with this time travel weirdness for this long, why quit now, just because of some silly siren?” the shapeshifter questioned.

“I don’t like to be vulnerable,” Zari admitted, refusing to meet Charlie’s intense gaze.

“I can pretend like I didn't hear what she said…” Charlie murmured despite something in her tone sounding reluctant.

“I'm tempted to flash myself to forget, to live in blissful ignorance,” she sighed heavily,”But that won't fix anything.”  
“Z, there isn't anything to fix. Why do you just assume I don't feel the same way?” Charlie said hesitantly. The way her voice faded away, as if she was going to keep saying more.  
And Zari wanted her to say more. Maybe instead of acting like nothing happened and resolve whatever this weird tension between them was.

“Zari, don't shut me out. I am here for you,” she added, removing her arm from around Zari’s shoulder. She couldn’t help but look at Charlie, shocked to find pleading brown eyes that were desperate for… something.  
Maybe someone?

“It’s not going to work Charlie. We’re too different, like a fire in a tornado. A fox and a bear. Not to mention that you are a mythical creature and I’m just a mortal. Why even bother trying when it going to hurt so much more than if we just stop it now. And whenever you get your powers back-”

Charlie cut her off, not with words but with a kiss on the lips. It was as she always imagined and even so much better; rough and hesitant at first as if she was waiting to see if Zari was interested. Zari didn’t know how much she wanted that kiss until that moment when she kissed back and it became soft, passionate.

The wolf whistle that she could only assume came from Mick broke them apart, along with the general need for air. Her nerves were still a little jumpy but that could have something to do having her emotions jump started by the kiss. The butterflies in her stomach fizzled out, leaving a pleasant feeling as Charlie rested her forehead against her own.  
Cupping Zari’s face in her hands (which were oddly soft, she might add) Charlie whispered,”For a time traveler, you think about the future an awful lot. Why not try living in the present?”

“I think I might,” Zari stole a quick kiss, allowing for a smile to blossom. Her gaze flickered across Charlie’s tan face, a wave of reassurement washed over her as she saw the little holes in her earlobes.

“Well good, because I plan on sticking around for awhile longer, with or without my powers,” Charlie assured her, pulling her in for a hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways I love this show and eventually gonna do a crossover with Supergirl and Legends
> 
> eventually  
> jesus this took forever to finish

**Author's Note:**

> I have full intent on finishing this before going back to Supercorp because I hate what I've been putting out.


End file.
